[graphic]weekend

i don't know if it's entirely true, but i would be willing to bet, almost every architect out there believes they can also be a graphic artist. i mean, design is design, right?

well, wheter it's true or not, i'm no exception. i've always enjoyed graphic design, and love the fact my profession allows me to dabble in it occasionally. even through this blog, i've meet some amazingly talented people who deal with graphic design, mostly the people at aqua-velvet and secret door projects.

now...not all of my weekends have themes, but graphic design seemed to be in the air last week. starting things off, i was fortunate enough to get invited to the "aiga no-love social", by one of my graphic oriented friends at running doves press. basically it was a chance for local graphic artists to present work which had been changed or trashed by the clients. logos, designs, marks, and decals, were given a chance to escape the recycle bin and be appreciated again, an idea i think the local aia should pick up on. not only did i enjoy looking at the forgotten designs, the local aiga also provided custom coasters and drink tickets.



since the next day was wichita's final friday art gallery crawl, the night was filled with touring local galleries. although art was enjoyed, the highlight of the night was receiving a pamphlet informing me of a local ordinance which had just been passed. it comically stated, to crack down on graffiti, it was now illegal to carry spray paint and or markers anywhere near public buildings. now, reading over the pamphlet, i agree, this is an incredibly lame and pointless law, which basically gives local authorities power to convict on circumstantial evidence. however what i enjoyed most was the larger picture. this pamphlet was evidence the art community in wichita is starting to show it's presence, get political, and still keep an artistic sense of humor about it.



so what will next weekend bring? who knows, i might feel rebellious and decide to live life on the edge of the law...and by that i mean grab a sharpie, sit on a bench downtown, and sketch.

make it [homemade] rain

yesterday, the fire department provided the crowd at the first ever "taste of wichita" some much needed relief from the 104 degree weather. today, it's 82 and rainy. apparently, i need to up-date a little quicker in this state. ahhhhhh kansas!

engag[ing]

after this weekend, my amateur photographer hat goes off to my friends at ericamay photography, the juice stop, darrin hackney photography and divispix photography.


last sunday, i had my first ever engagement shoot, and i was incredibly nervous. i love taking photos, however over the years the vast majority of my subjects have included buildings, doors, windows, patterns on walls, cracks in the sidewalk, and various other urban elements. static, stationary, somewhat stoic objects. unfeeling, with emotion projected onto them only from the viewer. everything being human is not. humans are dynamic, full of energy, feelings, life, and emotion. all things hard to capture in a fraction of a second. all things, the photographers mentioned above, do so well.

knowing i loved photography, and the fact i was in kansas city, brooke and roger asked if i'd take their engagement photos. the fact they're on a shoe string budget, and i mentioned i work for food, it was the perfect fit. the afternoon was spent traveling from location to location, ironically including some of the cities significant architecture. however, the buildings this time played backdrop to them, a couple young and in love, with a new and exciting future in front of them. an emotion and a feeling, i hope was captured for them.

some like it hot [and outside]

is it just me, or does summertime remind anyone else of the 1930's?

i can't remember exactly when, but for the better part of my life, the summertime has evoked a feeling of that decade for me. now, i'm very aware the 30's were not the best decade in recent history, and my only experience of that time comes from books and film. however, from what i've read and seen, it makes perfect sense why this decade coincides with summer for me. it seems people in the 30's found pleasure in the simple things in life. with the depression effecting most of the country, people rarely went to far, exotic places for vacations. entertainment, rather, was found locally and with a community. also, with technology like the tv yet to be in every single home, people seemed more apt to spend time outside with friends.

all of last week, might as well have taken place in the 1930's for me. i was practically living in a "country time lemonade" commercial. within the course of a week, i was able to enjoy 18 holes of golf, watch a live musical, enjoy a film played outside and under the stars, and even took in a minor league baseball game. with the musical being, "annie" and the movie being "some like it hot", the 30's theme was only magnified.

so if you get a chance in the near future, i recommend having a 1930's week for yourself. slow things down, sit on a porch, grab some lemonade, and enjoy the last fading weeks of summer.

have some benny goodman or glenn miller playing softly in the background for an added effect.

[grill] it and they will come

last weekend, i ate my first hot dog from a street vendor in wichita. believe me, this was not on my bucket list, but it did make me feel better about the future of wichita's downtown development.

i had a friend in town, visiting from kansas city, so much of the weekend was spent showing off wichita highlights. saturday evening found us in old town. at the end of the night, with the bars closing down, and our tabs paid, we wondered out onto the sidewalk, and were suddenly greeted with the most heavenly sent. grilled hot dogs! at that point in time nothing could have smelled better or more perfect. we had to have them. handing over four bucks for two dogs we quickly devoured them. walking home, i was thrilled at this little culinary surprise the city had offered up.

this same friend and i had just spent time in new york, a city filled with street vendors. a city which epitomizes urban living. street vendors are a small sign of a vibrant city, and wichita is beginning to have more options. as ironic as it may sound, having a smorgasbord of saturated fat on the sidewalk, is actually a healthy sign for downtown. remembering back to my "design and society" class in college, street vendors are very keen when it comes to lively spaces. with their business on wheels, they can quickly move to where the action is. they can easily fill a void not being met by regular establishments. in old town's case, there is a lack of late night restaurant choices to help sober up the drunken crowd. in come the vendors. the more people in an area, the more vendors will want to be there. with more vendors in an area, the more people will know where to head for a late night food fix.

for the benefit of the city, lets hope this cyclical evolution will start spilling into the lunch time crowd, and not just the jagerbomb crowd.